Nicholas Hoult for Jack the Giant Killer?

Nicholas Hoult is in the running for a role in 'Jack the Giant Killer'.

The 'Single Man' actor is screen testing for the role of the young farmer in the movie within the next two weeks alongside Aaron Johnson - a previously noted frontrunner - and Aneurin Barnard.

The Bryan Singer-directed project puts an alternative spin on the traditional 'Jack and the Giant Beanstalk' story and sees the leading man on a mission to save a princess held captive by giants, leading to a possible end of peaceful relations between them and humans, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

'Neighbours' actor Adelaide Kane, Lily Collins and Juno Temple are testing for the role of the princess who gets captured by the giants.

Hoult is thought to be a serious contender for the role having taken the character of Beast in Singer's forthcoming 'X-Men: First Class'.

Production was initially scheduled to begin on 'Jack the Giant Killer' in the summer but pre-visualised special effects are believed to have pushed it back to March 2011.